Verizon to allow cellular FaceTime use across all iPhone 5 data plans

Following the debut of Apple's iPhone 5 on Wednesday, Verizon wireless announced that it will allow all iPhone 5 data plan subscribers to use iOS 6's FaceTime over cellular, countering rival carrier AT&T's plan which limits the feature to the company's Mobile Share data plans.

FaceTime video calling over cellular networks will be enabled when iOS 6 launches on Sept. 19, however U.S. wireless operators have differing views on how to charge customers who use the data-hungry feature.

In a press release regarding the iPhone 5, Verizon said customers wanting to use the voice calling feature can do so on any data allowance tier, including existing unlimited plans. FaceTime over cellular will apparently not be available for existing iPhone 4S users.

From the release:

Customers purchasing iPhone 5 will also want to purchase a Share Everything Plan beginning at $40 monthly access and $50 monthly account access that includes unlimited voice, unlimited text, picture and video messaging, and a data plan that can be shared with up to 10 devices on a single account. And, customers wanting to use FaceTime on their iPhone 5 can do so using any Verizon Wireless data plan allowance.

Sprint also said that it would not be imposing any restrictions on FaceTime use.

AT&T, however, announced in August that it would be restricting FaceTime over 3G and 4G networks to iPhone users who sign up for the company's new Mobile Share data plans. The carrier subsequently released a public letter defending the move, saying that it was within its rights to block the app's access because it doesn't offer its own video chat service.

Pre-orders for Apple's iPhone 5 will begin on Sept. 14, with shipments to follow a week later on Sept. 21.

Unlike AT&T who complains and moans over the terrible iPhone people who are data whores.

Does any one see Verizon out selling iPhone's over AT&T in the next months? I honestly think AT&T needs to be brought to it's knees. By their practices they seem to be achieving that goal themselves. My god man. I have started to see Sprint as being the better, and I hate sprint. YUK!

I think that FaceTime will be a normal mode for placing calls. Only time will tell. I don't see it when your driving. Other wise I see it as normal. And voice calls will be secondary. It's just a matter of time for the cell companies allow it. It must be popular because AT&T is complaining.

Anyone else thinking the same thing as I am? It didn't take long for AT&T to react to Verison's changes before. Do you think that they will now?

Honestly, I think that they will.

They had better. Or else I'm outtie. It's my data. Mine. I pay for it. If AT&T think they can start telling me what I'm allowed to do with my data, and which apps I'm allowed to use they can take a flying leap.

In my area of Detroit AT&T have better, clearer calls, faster 4G and the ability to call and use data at the same time. I've been with them since Day 1. But I'll shuffle off that mortal coil if they don't back down on this. My wife's on Verizon, I've been AT&T because of work, but I think we'd get a nice deal if we were on V together. I'll just work out the receipts to make it kosher at the office...

Unlike AT&T who complains and moans over the terrible iPhone people who are data whores.

Does any one see Verizon out selling iPhone's over AT&T in the next months? I honestly think AT&T needs to be brought to it's knees. By their practices they seem to be achieving that goal themselves. My god man. I have started to see Sprint as being the better, and I hate sprint. YUK!

I think that FaceTime will be a normal mode for placing calls. Only time will tell. I don't see it when your driving. Other wise I see it as normal. And voice calls will be secondary. It's just a matter of time for the cell companies allow it. It must be popular because AT&T is complaining.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much for the morning hilarity Bro! Verizon is refusing to subsize iPhones for customers with unlimited plans. Oh of course they will still pay for a plan that includes subsidies built in, lol!

Yah, do unlike AT&T and their whining about unlimited plans.... Instead they are like "how much is the new iPhone? For you? Bend over and I'll show you...."

Unlike AT&T who complains and moans over the terrible iPhone people who are data whores.

Does any one see Verizon out selling iPhone's over AT&T in the next months? I honestly think AT&T needs to be brought to it's knees. By their practices they seem to be achieving that goal themselves. My god man. I have started to see Sprint as being the better, and I hate sprint. YUK!

I think that FaceTime will be a normal mode for placing calls. Only time will tell. I don't see it when your driving. Other wise I see it as normal. And voice calls will be secondary. It's just a matter of time for the cell companies allow it. It must be popular because AT&T is complaining.

I expect to see AT&T drop now that the iPhone will have both simultaneous voice and data, and finally be faster on Verizon. The two things AT&T had going for it are now gone.

I expect AT&T to reverse their policy on this since Verizon and Sprint aren't charging for it. There are costs for supporting FaceTime properly but they are ultimately minimal and the backlash of charging for something that people don't understand even though they use that backend tech every day just isn't good business. Verizon has been smart to fold in the cost into other things. AT&T should take notes.

Uh, the press release says Verizon will let you use FaceTime over any shared data plan, same as AT&T rumors. No difference, and this article was a waste of my time to read.

The article and press release clearly state "And, customers wanting to use FaceTime on their iPhone 5 can do so using any Verizon Wireless data plan allowance." That doesn't sound the same as AT&T to me.

With Straight Talk, you can use FaceTime over Cellular despite that it's on the AT&T network.

More than the iPhone FaceTime restrictions from AT&T, AT&T's policy regarding FaceTime over Cellular for iPad data plans is even more egregious. They have applied the same "only for shared data plans" policy despite the iPad only has data plans. So $30 for the 3GB plan still doesn't give FaceTime over Cellular access.

Verizon's plans are certainly pricer than AT&T. Verizon does appear to let me share my data with my iPad; not that it's a big savings but I think I might save me $5/month.

I would spend about 3 dollars less a month if I moved from my restricted unlimited AT&T data plan to Verizon's shared plan. However if I move to Verizon, my company would take over the billing. So there's that too....

Not anymore. Existing customers can keep their unlimited plan if they pay full price for the iP 5. Otherwise you're shuffled into a "Share Everything" plan, which I will be in a week. Having said that, the cost is actually going to be about the same for my family and we don't use more than 4GB per month anyway.*

I expect to see AT&T drop now that the iPhone will have both simultaneous voice and data, and finally be faster on Verizon. The two things AT&T had going for it are now gone.

I expect AT&T to reverse their policy on this since Verizon and Sprint aren't charging for it. There are costs for supporting FaceTime properly but they are ultimately minimal and the backlash of charging for something that people don't understand even though they use that backend tech every day just isn't good business. Verizon has been smart to fold in the cost into other things. AT&T should take notes.

The article and press release clearly state "And, customers wanting to use FaceTime on their iPhone 5 can do so using any Verizon Wireless data plan allowance." That doesn't sound the same as AT&T to me.

And again, they are refusing to subsidize iPhones for customers with unlimited plans, so thats their approach.

Both companies are trying to get people off unlimited plans, one company is not allowing facetime over 3G, one company will however will no longer offer you subsidies on your cell phones....

Essentially if you are an iphone user, Verizon just tacked on 19-25 dollars a month to your bill if you are an unlimited plan customer, if you upgrade every two years, less so if you upgrade less frequently. So your unlimited data went from $30 to $49-$55. For some that may still be a better deal because they use vast amounts of data. But I'm not sure how much that makes sense over a Sprint plan, depends on coverage and your patience with Sprint getting its LTE network out.

Verizon's plans are certainly pricer than AT&T. Verizon does appear to let me share my data with my iPad; not that it's a big savings but I think I might save me $5/month.

Same here, when I move to the Share Everything plan, I'll be able to use my iP 5 as a hotspot for my wifi iPad, there is no extra charge for that feature. And yeah, VZ is pricier than ATT, but honestly I've been with VZ (Alltel before that) with a very, very long time and I've probably dropped a total of 5 calls in that time, and the speeds, service, bills are consistent.

Long story short, I'm not going anywhere. Especially since I hear so many bad things about ATT!

And again, they are refusing to subsidize iPhones for customers with unlimited plans, so thats their approach.

Both companies are trying to get people off unlimited plans, one company is not allowing facetime over 3G, one company will however will no longer offer you subsidies on your cell phones....

Essentially if you are an iphone user, Verizon just tacked on 19-25 dollars a month to your bill if you are an unlimited plan customer, if you upgrade every two years, less so if you upgrade less frequently.

Not to argue, but that's a speculative assumption depending on how many phones are on the plan.

Currently my wife and I have iPhones and my oldest daughter has a feature phone, no data. Our bill is around $180 per month, unlimited everything (1400 minutes, we never use more than 500). We use about 2 or 3 GB per month.

With us moving to the Share Everything plan, and adding the iP 5 to my line, giving my daughter my 4s, our bill comes out to...about $180 per month, for 4GB of data. Granted it isn't unlimited data but it fits our needs.

Same here, when I move to the Share Everything plan, I'll be able to use my iP 5 as a hotspot for my wifi iPad, there is no extra charge for that feature. And yeah, VZ is pricier than ATT, but honestly I've been with VZ (Alltel before that) with a very, very long time and I've probably dropped a total of 5 calls in that time, and the speeds, service, bills are consistent.

Long story short, I'm not going anywhere. Especially since I hear so many bad things about ATT!

I've been back with AT&T since the iPhone arrived. There are more dropped calls and the call quality is worse than CDMA (partly by its nature) but I don't like being on the phone and have thousands of roll over minutes that I'll never use. There data has been considerably faster than Verizon and the simultaneous voice and data has been a feature I wouldn't give up for the times I'm on a call. I use my in-earphones on a call so I can see and use my iPhone easily.

I have no love or hate for either AT&T, Verizon or any other carrier. They all charge too much and offer very little in the way of customer service. In fact, my best experience with a carrier has been with AT&T since 2007 but that's mostly because the iPhone makes it such a treat. Even calling tech support by dialing 611 would get you to an Apple call center in the US and not some AT&T rep who has to be versed oh a system of hundreds of phones.

I'm moving for two reasons: data speeds and SV&D. No other reason is meaningful to me.

Not to argue, but that's a speculative assumption depending on how many phones are on the plan.

Currently my wife and I have iPhones and my oldest daughter has a feature phone, no data. Our bill is around $180 per month, unlimited everything (1400 minutes, we never use more than 500). We use about 2 or 3 GB per month.

With us moving to the Share Everything plan, and adding the iP 5 to my line, giving my daughter my 4s, our bill comes out to...about $180 per month, for 4GB of data. Granted it isn't unlimited data but it fits our needs.

You misunderstand me, I am talking about people who keep their unlimited plan and pay full price for future upgrades.